Device for securing and tensioning coiled springs

ABSTRACT

A device for securing and tensioning garage door springs in place including a cross-bar member, a downwardly extending rod threadably connected at one end to the cross-bar member and having a hook at the other end adapted to engage an anchor bracket, a pair of spaced upwardly extending threaded rods which protrude through apertures in the cross-bar and have hooked upper ends adapted to be connected to the springs, and nuts on each of the lower ends of said threaded rods adapted to engage the lower face of the cross-bar so that the threaded rods may be axially adjusted relative to the cross-bar.

United States Patent [191 Debs [ DEVICE FOR SECURING AND TENSIONINGCOILED SPRINGS [76] Inventor: John ()Chs, 2923 Yerrling Street,

Lakewood, Calif. 90712 [22] Filed: Oct. 26, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 192,444

2/1963 I Bender 248/59 June 26, 1973 Primary Examiner-James B. MarbertAttorney-Wham & McManigal 57] ABSTRACT A device for securing andtensioning garage door springs in place including a cross-bar member, adownwardly extending rod threadably connected at one end to thecross-bar member and having a hook at the other end adapted to engage ananchor bracket, a pair of spaced upwardly extending threaded rods whichprotrude through apertures in the cross-bar and have hooked upper endsadapted to be connected to the springs, and nuts on each of the lowerends of said threaded rods adapted to engage the lower face of thecross-bar so that the threaded rods may be axially adjusted relative tothe cross-bar.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures DEVICE FOR SECURING AND TENSIONING COILEDSPRINGS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally tospecial fittings, brackets, hooks and the like used for the purpose ofsecuring an'end of one or more tension springs to an anchor point andparticularly to such devices as are used for securing the tensionsprings incorporated in the hardware suspension systems of the overheador upwardly swinging type of garage doors.

The common upwardly opening or swinging type of garage door usuallyemploys at least one and customarily two extremely stiff, helicallycoiled tension springs at each side which must be installed underconsiderable tension in order to be effective. The strength andstiffness of these springs are so great that, without special equipment,it is very difficult for most people to install or replace or evenadjust the tension of the springs.

One of the most useful devices for securing and ad justing the tensionon garage door springs and one which greatly facilitates theinstallation of such springs is the device described inU.S. Pat. No.3,588,074 entitled Device for Securing and Adjusting Springs, by JohnOchs, the inventor of the present invention. The device in the foregoingpatent includes a threaded rod hooked at one end and having a slidablesleeve thereon provided with an oppositely facing hook with nutsthreaded on-the rod beyond each end of the sleeve. The device describedin the foregoing .patent, while performing ina superior fashion to, anyrelated prior art device, does not have .the advantages inherent in thedevice of my present invention as described herein.

The inventor is aware of-the following related prior art United StatesLetters Patents, all of which are clearly distinguishable from, myinvention as defined herein, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,636,562; 2,184,341;2,265,629; 2,323,585; 2,684,238; 2,846,212; 2,985,446; 3,348,336;3,420,48,9.R

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A particular advantage of the device of mypresent invention is that in garage door assemblies employing twosprings, each spring may be separately tensioned as desired.Additionally, due to the novel arrangement of the threaded rods relativetothe cross-bar member, the hooks forengaging the springsand the anchorbracket may easily be oriented relative to one another into a variety ofconfigurations as may be required for any particular installation. I

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved device particularly designed for securing and for adjustinggarage door springs of the type referred, to above, but also havingother uses.

Another object is to provide a device which readily attaches either to asingle spring or to a pair of springs at one end and which can bereadily attached to an anchor bracket or the like on a door frame at theother end and which provides for initial ease of installation with thespring in a non-tensioned condition, and the subsequent adjustmentthereof to place the springs in the required degree of tension.

Another object is to provide a device of the type described in theprevious-paragraph which, when a pair of springs is used, allowsindividual adjustment of the tension on each of the springs.

A further object is to provide a device of the type indicated which,when installed, is so designed and constructed that it readily pivotswith the spring (or springs) to which it is connected as the garage dooropens and closes, thereby obviating any possibility of the springsbinding.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the typedescribed which allows the hooked ends of the rods which are adapted toengage the garage door anchor bracket and the springs to be easilyoriented relative to one another as may be required for any particularinstallation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of theclass described in which a curved adapter having hook portions at eitherextremity is provided to allow interconnection of the spring engagingrods with a single spring.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the typeindicated which includes, due to its novel construction, the importantsafety feature of safeguarding against onespring of a pair of springscoming loose or breaking when the other spring fails.

In summary, the device of my invention comprises a first member having aplurality of apertures therethrough, a second member connected to thefirst member having a hooked end adapted to be connected to an anchorbracket, and a pair of threaded rods adjustably connected to the firstmember, each having a hooked end-adapted to be connected to a coiledspring.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects will be apparentfrom the drawings and the following description. Referring to thedrawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the hardware at one side of an overheadswinging garage door, the latter being fragmentarily shown in sectionand a device embodying the invention being included in the view.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the device embodying the invention shownin FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1, but on alarger scale.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional elevational view of the device taken alongline 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5-is a plan view of a curved bracket having hooked ends adapted toengage the hooked ends of the pair of threaded rods of the device shownin FIG. 2 when a single coiled spring is used.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a cross-bar member of an alternate form of theinvention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional elevational view similar to FIG. 4, butillustrating the construction of the alternate form of my inventionusing the cross-bar shown in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS More particularly describingthe invention, numeral 11 generally designates a garage door shown inoverhead position in a doorway of which one side frame 12 is shown andthe door will be understood to be supported upon hardware at each side,such as the hardware at one side generally designated 13. This hardwareincludes a mounting plate 14, a short lever 15 pivotally mounted on thedoor at 16 and the plate at 17. The hardware further includes a longlever 18 affixed to the door at 20 and pivotallymounted on the plate at22. At its free end, the lever is yieldably restrained by a pair ofconventional coil tension springs designated 24 which are shownconnected between it and an anchor bracket 26 mounted on the door frame.In this instance a device 28 embodying the invention serves as the meansfor connecting the lower ends of the springs to the anchor bracket 26.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, the device 28 can be seen tocomprise a first or cross-bar member 30 having a plurality of apertures32 therethrough, one of which, designated as 32', is internallythreaded. A threaded anchor rod 34, including an elongated straightthreaded section 36, constitutes a second member which is threadablyreceived at one end in aperture 32 of the first member, and is providedat its other or lower end with a generally U-shaped hooked end portion38, the purpose of which is to provide means for securing it to theanchor bracket 26 as best shown in FIG. 4. By threading second member oranchor rod 34 into and out of the cross-member, it is possible to adjustthe distance between the cross-bar and the anchor bracket. Also, byrotating anchor rod 34 relative to the cross-bar, it is possible toorient the hook into any plane which may be appropriate to most easilyinterconnect the rod to the anchor bracket. A nut 40 is provided onanchor rod 34 on the side of the cross-bar member farthest from theanchor bracket for the purpose of locking rod 34 in the desired positionrelative to the cross-bar member. Although rod 34 is illustrated asthreadably connected to the cross-bar, it is to be understood that therod may be affixed thereto in any suitable manner including, forexample, fixedly connecting it as by welding or brazing it thereto inthe desired orientation.

Protruding through apertures 32 in cross-bar member 30 are spaced firstand second elongated threaded rods 42 and 44 which have straightthreaded lower sections 46 and 48 respectively. Rods 42 and 44 terminateat their upper ends in generally U-shaped hook portions 50 and 52 whichare normally disposed in the same plane with the open portions thereoffacing away from each other. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, these hookportions are adapted to securely engage loops or eyes 54 provided at thelower end portions of coiled springs 24.

at the far end of threaded rods 42 and 44 with respect to the hookedends 50 and 52, there are provided nuts 55 and 56 which are adapted toengage the surface of the cross-member farthest from the hooked ends ofthe rods. When the device is in place as shown in FIG. 1, threading thenuts 55 and 56 onto the rods serves to shorten the distance'between thehooked ends of the rod and the cross-member, as illustrated by thephantom lines in FIG. 3, and hence place the springs under tension.Since each nut is separately adjustable on the threaded section of therod upon which it is mounted, it is possible to individually adjust thetension on each of the tension springs as may be necessary to properlyinstall the springs, and to properly maintain the apparatus in optimumoperating condition.

Preferably, nuts designated as 58 and 60 are provided on threaded rods42 and 44 on the side of cross-bar 30 nearest the hooked ends thereoffor the purpose of securely locking the cross-bar in a position againstnuts 55 and 56 when the desired tension has been placed on the coiledsprings.

In FIG. 5 I show a curved adapter 57 for use with the device, aspreviously described, when only a single spring is used in the garagedoor apparatus. Adapter 57 has a generally U-shaped center portion 58adapted to engage the lower end of the single coil spring and integralhook-shaped portions 60 and 62 on either side of center portion 58 whichare adapted to engage hook portions 50 and 52 of rods 42 and 44. Withhook portions 60 and 62 of the adapter in interlocking engagement withhook portions 42 and 44 of the threaded rods, the center U-shapedportion of the adapter may be connected to the loop or strap of a singlecoil spring and the spring placed under tension by threading nuts 58 and60 toward cross-bar 30 on rods 42 and 44, thereby shortening thedistance between hook ends 50 and 52 and cross-bar 30.

In FIG. 6 I show a cross-bar member 64 which is to be used in anotherform of my invention. This form of the invention is also adapted to beused with a garage door apparatus using either a pair of coil springs ora single coil spring. In this form of my invention, which is furtherillustrated in FIG. 7, cross-bar 64 is wider than the cross-barpreviously described and also, in addition to apertures 32 and 32', isprovided with an aperture 66 located adjacent to and centered on thesame transverse center line as aperture 32. When a single coil spring 68is used as is illustrated in FIG. 7, a threaded rod 70, which is of thesame general configuration as threaded rods 42 and 44 previouslydescribed, protrudes through aperture 66 and is provided with a nut 72on the side of cross-bar 64 farthest away from its hook-shaped end 74. Athreaded anchor rod 34 is received in aperture 32' and is threadably orotherwise connected to the cross-member in the same manner as previouslydescribed so that when the anchor rod is attached to the anchor plate,as illustrated in FIG. 7, and nut 72 is threaded upon rod 70, thedistance between cross-bar 64 and spring 68 is shortened, therebyplacing the spring under tension. A nut 40 is provided on rod 34 to lockit into position relative to the crossbar. Preferably, a second nutdesignated in FIG. 7 as 73 is provided on rod on the side of cross-bar64 nearest the hooked end of the rod for the purpose of securely lockingthe cross-bar in the desired position against nut 72.

I claim:

1. A device for securing and independently adjusting a pair of springsadapted to be connected between a pair of coiled tension springs and ananchor bracket having an aperture therethrough for receiving a hook,comprising:

a. an elongated cross-bar having a plurality of apertures therethrough;

b. a depending threaded anchor rod threadably connected to saidcross-bar, said anchor rod having a hooked end adapted to be received inthe aperture of the anchor bracket;

c. a first upwardly extending threaded rod receivable in an aperture insaid cross-bar and movable axially relative thereto, said first threadedrod having a hooked end disposed on the side of said cross-bar oppositethe side thereof facing the anchor bracket;

- d. a nut on said first threaded rod on the side of said cross-barfarthest from the hooked end of said first rod;

e. a second upwardly extending threaded rod receivably in an aperture insaid cross-bar and movable axially relative thereto, said secondthreaded rod extending in a spaced, generally parallel relationship withsaid first threaded rod and having a hooked end disposed in proximitywith but normally facing oppositely relative to the hooked end of saidfirst threaded rod; and

f. a nut on said second threaded rod on the side of said cross-barfarthest from the hooked end of said second rod.

2. The device of claim 1 in which a nut is provided on said threadedanchor rod on the side of said crossthe hook ends of said first andsecond threaded rods.

1. A device for securing and independently adjusting a pair of springsadapted to be connected between a pair of coiled tension springs and ananchor bracket having an aperture therethrough for receiving a hook,comprising: a. an elongated cross-bar having a plurality of aperturestherethrough; b. a depending threaded anchor rod threadably connected tosaid cross-bar, said anchor rod having a hooked end adapted to bereceived in the aperture of the anchor bracket; c. a first upwardlyextending threaded rod receivable in an aperture in said cross-bar andmovable axially relative thereto, said first threaded rod having ahooked end disposed on the side of said cross-bar opposite the sidethereof facing the anchor bracket; d. a nut on said first threaded rodon the side of said crossbar farthest from the hooked end of said firstrod; e. a second upwardly extending threaded rod receivably in anaperture in said cross-bar and movable axially relative thereto, saidsecond threaded rod extending in a spaced, generally parallelrelationship with said first threaded rod and having a hooked enddisposed in proximity with but normally facing oppositely relative tothe hooked end of said first threaded rod; and f. a nut on said secondthreaded rod on the side of said crossbar farthest from the hooked endof said second rod.
 2. The device of claim 1 in which a nut is providedon said threaded anchor rod on the side of said cross-bar farthest fromthe hooked end thereof.
 3. The device of claim 1 in which a second nutis provided on each of said first and second threaded rods on the sideof said cross-bar nearest to the hooked ends of said first and secondrods.
 4. The device of claim 1 including a curved adapter member havinga generally U-shaped center portion adapted to engage the end of acoiled spring and integral hook portions on either side of the U-shapedcenter portion, said hook portions being adapted to engage the hook endsof said first and second threaded rods.